ITV has announced the launch date for its new Prime Suspect prequel series.

Adapted from Lynda La Plante’s bestselling novel, Tennison, the crime drama stars Stefanie Martini (Doctor Thorne, Endeavour) as the young incarnation of Helen Mirren’s iconic character Jane Tennison.

Martini is joined by Blake Harrison (Dad’s Army, The Inbetweeners) and Sam Reid (Belle, The Riot Club) as Jane’s superiors DCI Len Bradfield and DS Spencer Gibbs in the six-part series, which follows Tennison at the beginning of her career, revealing why she became such a complex and formidable character in the Metropolitan Police.

Prime Suspect: 1973 begins at 9pm on Thursday 2 March on ITV.

Watch the trailer…

The official synopsis for the opening episode reads: “When the body of teenager, Julie Ann Collins, is found in the underground car park of a Hackney housing estate, probationer WPC Jane Tennison becomes immersed in her first murder investigation.

“Jane’s superior DI Bradfield believes that the victim’s drug addict boyfriend, Eddie Phillips, is involved in the crime, tracking him down for questioning. However, despite Bradfield and DS Gibbs being convinced that he is hiding something, the interview is cut short when Eddie collapses and is sent to hospital.

“Meanwhile, with his release from prison imminent, renowned criminal Clifford Bentley is preparing for an upcoming bank robbery that he and his family are carrying out for gangland kingpin Clay Whitely. With information reaching him that his wife, Renee, has been attacked as a warning from Whitely though, he becomes nervous.

“At home, Jane’s mother voices concerns about Jane’s chosen vocation and wishes she were more like her younger sister, Pam, who is about to be married. However, determined and ambitious Jane is adamant she’s going to help catch the killer though.”

The cast of Prime Suspect: 1973 also includes Alun Armstrong (New Tricks), Ruth Sheen (Inside No.9), Lex Shrapnel (Medici: Masters of Florence), Jay Taylor (Promise), Jessica Gunning (Fortitude), Andrew Brooke (Da Vinci’s Demons), Nick Sidi (DCI Banks), Geraldine Somerville (New Tricks) and Rosie Day (Cuffs).

Buy the complete original Prime Suspect series box set on Amazon here.

Starring Dame Helen Mirren as DCI Tennison, Prime Suspect launched on ITV in 1991 and ran for seven seasons until 2006.

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